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Health and Safety Directorate
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  3. Local Exhaust Ventilation

Local Exhaust Ventilation

Background

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems include:

  • Fume cupboards
  • Microbiological safety cabinets
  • Extract or Capture hoods.

Their role is to prevent users from being exposed to harmful substances e.g. chemical vapours, dusts and microorganisms.  Users of the system should ensure they understand how to safely use the equipment and its limitations. (Laminar flow booths which are designed to protect the research material are not regarded as LEV).

There is a split responsibility for maintenance and formal testing inspections.

  • Ducted systems - Estates and Facilities (EAF)
  • Non-ducted and recirculating systems – School / Institute or Directorate who owns equipment.
  • Capital / Strategic Projects should provide installation and testing information for newly installed equipment for their projects.

Daily user checks.  If there is any obvious damage to the LEV or it clearly isn’t working properly, you should report this and you should have it repaired straight away.

Every LEV should have a periodic ‘Thorough Examination and Test’ (TExT) (at least every once 14 months) and you must keep this record for at least five years. A performance test should be conducted to the supplier’s designated standard and schedule (typically annually). In addition, you should have information on the installed LEV system to confirm it provides adequate protection, which should be kept for the life of the equipment. A model template for recording key LEV management details and tests is provided below.

Queen Mary arrangements for LEV management, roles and responsibilities are specified in EMAP-28 and in the topic policy documents below.


Recent HSE e-bulletin (23 Jan 2025)

Thorough Examination and Testing (TExT) duties

Ensure you understand your duties for conducting TExT of microbiological safety cabinets (MBSCs) and other laboratory-based LEV systems (e.g. fume cupboards).
Read further what you should do at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKHSE/bulletins/3cc1a27

QMUL Documents

References

HSE web site for LEV http://www.hse.gov.uk/lev

Primary legislation

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended)

For Advice and Assistance at QMUL, contact the H&S Manager / Advisor for your Faculty / PS  or the subject lead at http://www.hsd.qmul.ac.uk/contact-us/

All H&S staff can be contacted via the help desk at hs-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk

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